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Inching away frolected cable on his cot, Thorne cleared his ain calling up the personification of a gentleman, and attempted to make small talk while she worked He asked what she was in for and complimented the fine work him briefly question if he’d been separated fro his charirl see for, and Thorne heard the ain

"When they locked you up," Thorne said, "didn’t they consider that this prison ht have some security weaknesses?"

"It didn’t at the time This hand is kind of a new addition" She paused and stared hard at one corner of the alcove, as if trying to see through the wall

Maybe she had X-ray vision Now that he could find so and entering?"

After a long silence of exairl wrinkled her nose "Two counts of treason, if youarrest, and unlawful use of bioelectricity Oh, and illegal iration, but honestly, I think that’s a little excessive"

He squinted at the back of her head, a twitch developing in his left eye "How old are you?"

"Sixteen"

The screwdriver in her finger began to spin again Thorne waited until there was a lull in the grinding "What’s your name?"

"Cinder," she said, followed by another swell of noise

When it died down: "I’m Captain Carswell Thorne But usually people just call

"Thorne Or Captain Or Captain Thorne"

Without responding, she wriggled her hand back into the alcove It see, but it ed, as a second later she sat back and huffed with frustration

"I can see that you’re in need of an acco his jumpsuit "And lucky for you, I happen to be a crilowered at him "Go away"

"That’s a difficult request in this situation"

She sighed and dusted the flecks of white plastic froet out?" he asked

She turned back to the wall The grinding persisted for a while before she paused to roll her neck, working out a crick "The most direct route out of the city is north"

"Oh, my naive little convict Don’t you think that’s what they’ll be expecting you to do?"

She jabbed the screwdriver into the alcove "Would you please stop distracting ht be able to help each other"

"Leave aze darted to hi

"A spaceship"

"A spaceship," she drawled

"She could have us halfway to the stars in less than two et to What do you say?"

"I say if you don’t stop talking and lethalfway to anywhere"

"Point taken," Thorne said, holding up his hands in surrender "You just think it over in that pretty head of yours"

She tensed, but kept working

"Now that I’ of it, there used to be an excellent dim sum bar just a block away too They had mini pork buns that were to die for Rich and succulent" He pinched his fingers together, salivating over the e the back of her neck

"Maybe if we have time we could stop in and pick up a snack for the road I could use a treat after suffering through the tasteless junk they call food in this place" He licked his lips, but when he refocused on the girl, the pain on her features had tightened Sas beading on her brow

"Are you all right?" he asked, reaching for her "Do you need a back rub?"

She swatted him away "Please," she said, hands braced between the breath

As Thorne stared, her ilev tracks He stule filled his brain and raced down his nerves